Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
Keane and scholes and it isn't even close.
comment by Dragonite (U17162)
posted 7 minutes ago
Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lampard and Makelele very rarely played as a midfield pair, as pointed out earlier. Shouldn't be on the list. Think the only real time they played together in a 2 was 03/04. They weren't great.
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 25 minutes ago
Keane and scholes and it isn't even close.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
this...as someone above said....could play..mix it and dominate and overwhelm midfield 3's.
I'd go for Keane and Scholes.
If you were to go for a midfield 3,which only became continually more popular in the late 00's and onwards,then you'd have a much wider debate.
Keane and Scholes by a country mile
Not even a debate
Keane and Scholes a clear first.
The Keane and Ince in second. That 93/94 was an unbelievably powerful team with them in the engine room.
I’d add to this discussion that if you put say, Alonso and Gerrard into the United midfield in place of Keane and Scholes and had this:
Beckham—Alonso—Gerrard—Giggs
You still got a world class midfield. When you get to the very top players in their positions, most players are interchangeable without major drop-offs in terms of quality.
You would, Alonso and Gerrard wasn't a great midfield partnership. Miles behind Scholes and Keane as a partnership.
Alonso's only really good season in the prem came before he left for Madrid when he played alongside Mascherano with Gerrard in front as an attacking mid.
Keane and Scholes, well you know the score with them.
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense.
---------------------------------------
Vieira was a great, but sometimes you don't need an equal great to form a great partnership. Gilberto brought the best out of others.
Brazil struggled through qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Then they brought Gilberto into the team, and he played every minute as Brazil won the World Cup at a canter.
Likewise, Petit wasn't as good as Vieira as a talent. But he was still a quality technician. Don't forget he was running midfield battles at France '98, and scored & assisted in the World Cup Final.
comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they did, before they signed Essien.
It was Mak & Lampard in CM, with Joe Cole in the free role. Duff, Drogba & Robben up top.
comment by #LiquidGenius (U20571)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they did, before they signed Essien.
It was Mak & Lampard in CM, with Joe Cole in the free role. Duff, Drogba & Robben up top.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No. In that team it was Makelele in front of the back 4, with Lampard and one other (often Thiago) in front of Makelele.
Brazil struggled through qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Then they brought Gilberto into the team, and he played every minute as Brazil won the World Cup at a canter.
-----
Gilberto's game was more inconspicuous,but he was easily a better footballer than Petit, imo.
When you think of it, Brazil's produced an astounding amount of top quality DMs.
omment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 9 hours, 2 minutes ago
You would, Alonso and Gerrard wasn't a great midfield partnership. Miles behind Scholes and Keane as a partnership.
=======
But that’s to miss my point.
We like to get very hung up on ‘partnerships’ and things like that.
Put Scholes and Keane in a much weaker Liverpool and they aren’t going to dominate just because of those two.
Beckham and Giggs were just as important to our midfield as anyone else and it helped having a genuinely brilliant striker pairing ahead of them.
Alonso and Gerrard may not have been a good pairing for the little time it was tried (Alonso new to the league and young) but as individual players there were both excellent and could hold their own against anyone else. I could have picked any other combination of players to make the point.
comment by Cornelius Oofterom (U15867)
posted 10 hours, 23 minutes ago
comment by Dragonite (U17162)
posted 7 minutes ago
Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lampard and Makelele very rarely played as a midfield pair, as pointed out earlier. Shouldn't be on the list. Think the only real time they played together in a 2 was 03/04. They weren't great.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah I guess second in the league and champs league semi finals is no good...
tbh we had so many good players then taht they rarely played in a two, with thiago, cole, robben, duff, gudjohnsen etc all taking up the 5 positions in midfield
I’d have to go with Rooney & Rooney. It was the best midfield partnership we have ever seen in the Prem. Coupled with Rooney in behind in the DM role, it really gave Rooney the freedom to express himself in the no.10 role, feeding the striker, Rooney, playing up top.
how can you ask who the greatest pairing was, and then list achievements where they werent even a partnership?
comment by Jack Hendry (U1734)
posted 4 minutes ago
I’d have to go with Rooney & Rooney. It was the best midfield partnership we have ever seen in the Prem. Coupled with Rooney in behind in the DM role, it really gave Rooney the freedom to express himself in the no.10 role, feeding the striker, Rooney, playing up top.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not to mention how fortunate his fellow midfielders were to have such an accommodating captain.
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Best CM pairs in PL history
Page 2 of 3
posted on 23/11/17
Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
posted on 23/11/17
Mikel and Ramires
posted on 23/11/17
Keane and scholes and it isn't even close.
posted on 23/11/17
comment by Dragonite (U17162)
posted 7 minutes ago
Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lampard and Makelele very rarely played as a midfield pair, as pointed out earlier. Shouldn't be on the list. Think the only real time they played together in a 2 was 03/04. They weren't great.
posted on 23/11/17
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
posted on 23/11/17
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 25 minutes ago
Keane and scholes and it isn't even close.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
this...as someone above said....could play..mix it and dominate and overwhelm midfield 3's.
posted on 23/11/17
I'd go for Keane and Scholes.
If you were to go for a midfield 3,which only became continually more popular in the late 00's and onwards,then you'd have a much wider debate.
posted on 23/11/17
Keane and Scholes by a country mile
Not even a debate
posted on 23/11/17
Keane and Scholes a clear first.
The Keane and Ince in second. That 93/94 was an unbelievably powerful team with them in the engine room.
posted on 23/11/17
I’d add to this discussion that if you put say, Alonso and Gerrard into the United midfield in place of Keane and Scholes and had this:
Beckham—Alonso—Gerrard—Giggs
You still got a world class midfield. When you get to the very top players in their positions, most players are interchangeable without major drop-offs in terms of quality.
posted on 23/11/17
You would, Alonso and Gerrard wasn't a great midfield partnership. Miles behind Scholes and Keane as a partnership.
Alonso's only really good season in the prem came before he left for Madrid when he played alongside Mascherano with Gerrard in front as an attacking mid.
Keane and Scholes, well you know the score with them.
posted on 23/11/17
Sheene and Coles
posted on 23/11/17
Milner and Henderson
posted on 24/11/17
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense.
---------------------------------------
Vieira was a great, but sometimes you don't need an equal great to form a great partnership. Gilberto brought the best out of others.
Brazil struggled through qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Then they brought Gilberto into the team, and he played every minute as Brazil won the World Cup at a canter.
Likewise, Petit wasn't as good as Vieira as a talent. But he was still a quality technician. Don't forget he was running midfield battles at France '98, and scored & assisted in the World Cup Final.
posted on 24/11/17
comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they did, before they signed Essien.
It was Mak & Lampard in CM, with Joe Cole in the free role. Duff, Drogba & Robben up top.
posted on 24/11/17
comment by #LiquidGenius (U20571)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
Lampard and Makelele in a cm partnership?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they did, before they signed Essien.
It was Mak & Lampard in CM, with Joe Cole in the free role. Duff, Drogba & Robben up top.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
No. In that team it was Makelele in front of the back 4, with Lampard and one other (often Thiago) in front of Makelele.
posted on 24/11/17
Keane and Scholes easily
posted on 24/11/17
Brazil struggled through qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Then they brought Gilberto into the team, and he played every minute as Brazil won the World Cup at a canter.
-----
posted on 24/11/17
Gilberto's game was more inconspicuous,but he was easily a better footballer than Petit, imo.
When you think of it, Brazil's produced an astounding amount of top quality DMs.
posted on 24/11/17
omment by Zlatan The King Ibrahimovic (U10026)
posted 9 hours, 2 minutes ago
You would, Alonso and Gerrard wasn't a great midfield partnership. Miles behind Scholes and Keane as a partnership.
=======
But that’s to miss my point.
We like to get very hung up on ‘partnerships’ and things like that.
Put Scholes and Keane in a much weaker Liverpool and they aren’t going to dominate just because of those two.
Beckham and Giggs were just as important to our midfield as anyone else and it helped having a genuinely brilliant striker pairing ahead of them.
Alonso and Gerrard may not have been a good pairing for the little time it was tried (Alonso new to the league and young) but as individual players there were both excellent and could hold their own against anyone else. I could have picked any other combination of players to make the point.
posted on 24/11/17
comment by Cornelius Oofterom (U15867)
posted 10 hours, 23 minutes ago
comment by Dragonite (U17162)
posted 7 minutes ago
Top 2 is easy for me
1. Keane & Scholes
2. Lampard & Makalele
Makalele is one of the PL greats, he's the version Kante should aspire to be
Arsenal had a great spine, they had Vieira in MF, but I wouldn't say in their peak times they had an equal great alongside him if that makes sense
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lampard and Makelele very rarely played as a midfield pair, as pointed out earlier. Shouldn't be on the list. Think the only real time they played together in a 2 was 03/04. They weren't great.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah I guess second in the league and champs league semi finals is no good...
posted on 24/11/17
tbh we had so many good players then taht they rarely played in a two, with thiago, cole, robben, duff, gudjohnsen etc all taking up the 5 positions in midfield
posted on 24/11/17
I’d have to go with Rooney & Rooney. It was the best midfield partnership we have ever seen in the Prem. Coupled with Rooney in behind in the DM role, it really gave Rooney the freedom to express himself in the no.10 role, feeding the striker, Rooney, playing up top.
posted on 24/11/17
how can you ask who the greatest pairing was, and then list achievements where they werent even a partnership?
posted on 24/11/17
comment by Jack Hendry (U1734)
posted 4 minutes ago
I’d have to go with Rooney & Rooney. It was the best midfield partnership we have ever seen in the Prem. Coupled with Rooney in behind in the DM role, it really gave Rooney the freedom to express himself in the no.10 role, feeding the striker, Rooney, playing up top.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not to mention how fortunate his fellow midfielders were to have such an accommodating captain.
Page 2 of 3